Professional fútbol in Granada:  a grueling game for men.

Arriving at Estadio Nuevo Los Cármenes

Preparing el campo.

Enticing the crowd.

The crowd enticed.

Patada inicial.

Trading goodies.

Granada scores!

The crowd goes wild.

On with the game!

Semi-professional fútbol in Granada:  a grueling game for women.

Málaga (orange) vs. Granada (stripes).

Linesmen and Referee.

Rites and Customs.

The Kickoff.

No problem finding a good seat

The crowd goes wild.

Youth league fútbol in Granada:  a nightmare that never ends.

FIFA says “No!” to foreign players!

M. spoke to this reporter in Spanish, protesting the harsh requirements. Fortunately, she was not quoted.

We get our picture in the paper!

Even though J. and A. had signed up to play with the local fútbol club, Rayo Eneas, trouble in Barçelona had prevented them from participating in official games with their teams.

It all began when the Barçelona FC was fined for enticing young players from other countries to move to Spain and try out for the Barçelona team. According to newspaper accounts, up to 3,000 young people have been abandoned on the streets of Barçelona having failed to reach the pitch, disclaimed without family or friends to help them.

To prevent the continuation of this “child-trafficking” FIFA is cracking down on the parents of foreign children who play on European teams.  Hence, a bunch of ex-pat kids have been left on the sidelines, able to train but unable to play until their paper trail is examined, codified, stamped, stapled, rejected, resubmitted and…….

. . . Éxito!  In December, J.’s coach finally figured out a way for J. to play while his papers were being processed!  Now we get to schedule every single weekend around fútbol games — either home or away in a nearby pueblo.  As of this posting, Rayo Eneas is in 2nd place with a 12-1 record.  J. has scored a couple of goals and is glad to play midfield or defense.  Vaya Rayo Eneas!

Ultimately, FIFA took so long to authorize all the forms that our empadronamiento expired and D. had to return to the Centro Civico at the Oficina de Ayuntamiento in the Albayzin to renew our copy.  This was great because we got to practice one of our favorite phrases in Granada:  No pasa nada.

A., on the other hand, has yet to play in an official game.  Her forms have not been processed.  Her empadronamiento rests in an office, somewhere in the city, awaiting its stamp.  However, A. couldn’t care less.  She is happy enough to practice with her team twice a week, one of only three girls willing and able to play fútbol with the boys.  

Our little house is smashed next to other little houses and separated from yet others by a narrow cobbled lane.  People set their laundry on the roof top terraces to dry in the sun, or else clothes drape from buildings as if Christo and Jeanne-Claude had paid a visit to Granada at the beginning of their career. From our rooftop you can see the Alhambra and hear the birds in the cypress trees and the flamenco singers from high above in Mirador San Nicolás.  Church bells ring at odd hours and for unpredictable lengths of time. Occasionally, a gentleman walks through the streets whistling and shouting out that he is ready to sharpen your knives.

Our neighborhood from above…

A typical narrow lane.

In the fall, the grapes ripened.

They tasted great!

It stayed nice and green for a long time.

No pork is served at this vegan restaurant.

One of the places where we post our cards to you.

When you visit, we will take you for “churros y chocolate.”

But is it art?

After living in Granada for awhile, one young wag of our acquaintance insisted:  “It’s just really different in a lot of ways.  There’s so many ways it’s different it’s impossible to describe.  There are so many people and you never know if they’re local or actually a tourist. And it’s very hard to communicate because the people don’t know English and we don’t know that much Spanish, so it’s hard to communicate.  And you always walk everywhere.”

SOME PLACES WE WALKED

…to the Alhambra to go Geocaching with some friends.

…by the Torre to look for the cache.

…to the cemeterio, still looking.

….inside a special garden in the cemeterio where the cache was hidden.

…across from Sacramonte to get to Llano de la Perdiz.

….to the side of the hill to throw rocks.

…along the hill to get to the top.

…across from the caves.

…to the Cave Museum

….inside the Cave Museum.

At the end of September, the annual fiesta in honor of the Albayzin’s patron San Miguel Archangel was held over a weekend.  We did not go to mass on Sunday or attend the flamenco performances that began at 10:30 p.m. in Plaza Larga each night, but we did go to the Foam Party at Placeta de Fátima.

Making foam.

What is this stuff?

It’s supposed to put out fires.

Presumably happy.

Also happy.

Before the chill set in.

Leaves your skin silky smooth.

At the end of October, some ex-pat families celebrated Halloween.  The chidren trick-or-treated from ex-pat house to ex-pat house through the Albayzin, sort of like a progressive dinner.  The kids got candy and the adults got tapas and wine and beer.  A good deal for all.

Take home message:  Siempre hay ropa para lavar.